Show My Power. Miracles from the Past, Part 7

"Be gracious to me, LORD, for I am weak; heal me, LORD, for my bones are
shaking." Psalm 6:2 (HCSB) Tertullian was born at A.D. 145. His father was a
Roman officer, and his family were not Christian. In his adult life, he became
quite intrigued as to why the Christians would not renounce their faith. The
fact that they seemed to prefer martyrdom impressed him.

Tertullian also became fascinated with the teachings of Jesus. He discovered
that many sick people were healed in the name of Jesus. No other name could do
this. He was especially impressed that even the mentally deranged persons could
be healed, all in the name of Jesus, the One who died on a cross but had been
seen alive after his resurrection.

In the end, Tertullian became a Christian. He often condemned the Roman
authorities who persecuted Christians. Why would these Romans oppose the ones
who heal people through prayer in the name of Jesus? It didn't make sense! He
wrote the following: "For what more delightful than to have God the Father and
our Lord at peace with us, than revelation of the truth than confession of our
errors, than pardon of the innumerable sins of our past life? What greater
pleasure than distaste of pleasure itself, contempt of all that the world can
give, true liberty, a pure conscience, a contented life, and freedom from all
fear of death? What nobler than to tread under foot the gods of the nations-to
exorcise evil spirits 376 -to perform cures-to seek divine revealings-to live to
God?" (Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol III: Tertullian: Part I: Chapter XXIX.)

Tertullian was bold in what he wrote: "Let a person be brought before your
tribunals who is plainly under demoniacal possession. The wicked spirit, bidden
to speak by a follower of Christ, will as readily make the truthful confession
that he is a demon, as elsewhere he has falsely asserted that he is a god. Or,
if you will, let there be produced one of the god-possessed, as they are
supposed--if they do not confess, in their fear of lying to a Christian, that
they are demons, then and there shed the blood of that most impudent follower of
Christ. All the authority and power we have over them is from our naming the
Name of Christ, and recalling to their memory the woes with which God threatens
them at the hand of Christ their Judge, and which they expect one day to
overtake them. Fearing Christ in God and God in Christ, they become subject to
the servants of God and Christ. So at one touch and breathing, overwhelmed by
the thought and realization of those judgment fires, they leave at our command
the bodies they have entered, unwilling, and distressed, and before your very
eyes, put to an open shame." (Apology to the Rulers of the Roman Empire.)

Tertullian often wrote about exorcism and healing. He even said: "The name
'philosopher', he declares is of no use in exorcism."

Healing and exorcism is only possible through the name of Jesus, the One who
healed everyone when he was in our neighborhood.

This is still reality in our modern world. Jesus has not changed; rather, it is
the world that has changed. The following real testimony happened to an unnamed
missionary in an unnamed Asian country.

One day he was invited to enter a tent. Here he found a blind woman who was
quite ill. Suddenly the missionary heard the Holy Spirit speaking to him: "You
can do something for that woman. Pray. Show my power."

The missionary asked for permission to pray for this poor woman. Two days later,
people came running up to him with friendly greetings. "He has heard us," they
told him. Then he saw the woman he had prayed for. She was walking about,
completely healed. A few months later, she, along with two of her friends,
became followers of Christ.

We have now reviewed the first 3 centuries after Jesus' ascension, and during
all that time, healings and miracles occurred constantly. If it happened in the
past, it will also happen today!

Rob Chaffart

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